Schengen Area
1 government-specification photo formats.
Overview
The Schengen short-stay (Type C) visa photo standard is a single common rule applied across the 29 Schengen member states. The framework is set at EU level by the Visa Code — Regulation (EC) No 810/2009, whose Annex II defines the photograph specification — and is anchored to ICAO Doc 9303 and ISO/IEC 19794-5 for biometric face-image quality. National long-stay (Type D) visas and residence permits sit outside this common rule and may add country-specific requirements.
The geometric and digital baseline is uniform: a 35 × 45 mm print at a 7:9 aspect ratio, a 413 × 531 px digital image at 300 DPI, sRGB color only, with a head height of 32–36 mm (roughly 71–80% of frame height) and the eye line in the upper portion of the frame. EU guidance recommends a plain light-grey background, though many consulates also accept light or off-white. Photos must be taken within the last 6 months, must reflect current appearance, and must not contain digital filters, retouching, or AI enhancement. Selfies are not addressed explicitly, but every geometric, lighting, and biometric-quality constraint must still be met. Eyeglasses are generally not permitted under the post-2022 EU consular guidance — many consulates now refuse them outright.
Cross-consulate variation is the practical complication. Although the 35 × 45 mm + 71–80% head + neutral-expression baseline is identical across member states, individual consulates and national e-visa portals (France-Visas, the German consular booking system, VFS Global) impose their own file-size caps, pixel limits, and background-color preferences on top of the framework. Applicants should check the destination consulate's portal for digital-submission constraints before uploading.
Issuing authorities
- European Commission, DG Migration and Home Affairs — owns the common visa policy and the Annex II photograph specification under Regulation (EC) No 810/2009.
- Schengen member-state consulates — the actual issuing authorities. Each member state's consular network applies the EU framework and may add portal-specific digital constraints (file size, pixel limits, background-color preference) to short-stay visa submissions.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
Does each Schengen country have its own visa photo rule?
No — short-stay (Type C) visas use a single common rule across all 29 Schengen member states, set by the EU Visa Code (Regulation (EC) No 810/2009, Annex II) and anchored to ICAO Doc 9303 and ISO/IEC 19794-5. National long-stay (Type D) visas and residence permits sit outside this common rule and may add country-specific requirements.
What is the standard Schengen visa photo size?
35 × 45 mm print at a 7:9 aspect ratio, 413 × 531 px digital at 300 DPI, sRGB color only, with head height 32–36 mm (roughly 71–80% of frame). EU guidance recommends a plain light-grey background, though many consulates also accept light or off-white.
Can I use the same photo for a Schengen visa at any consulate?
The 35 × 45 mm + 71–80% head + neutral-expression baseline is identical across member states, so the print itself is interchangeable. The complication is digital submission: individual consulates and national e-visa portals (France-Visas, the German consular booking system, VFS Global) impose their own file-size caps, pixel limits, and background-color preferences on top of the framework.
Why are eyeglasses now refused on Schengen visa photos?
Eyeglasses are generally not permitted under the post-2022 EU consular guidance, and many consulates now refuse them outright. This is a stricter interpretation than older guidance, which allowed clear prescription lenses with no glare, and applies uniformly across member states under the common Annex II framework.
What gets a Schengen visa photo rejected most often?
Wearing eyeglasses (refused under post-2022 guidance), photos older than 6 months, mismatched background colour for the destination consulate's portal preference, and exceeding the consulate-specific digital file-size cap. The 35 × 45 mm + 71–80% head baseline is uniform, but portal-level constraints vary by member state.
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